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Taiwanese friends passing through Paris - Mr. Huang of Yiri Aesthetics Gallery and his partners, Zhang Peizhu, Wang Junqi, Lin Zhengwei, Cheng Renpei from Xinyuan
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MAC Val Museum in Vitry-sur-Seine, dedicated to contemporary French art
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Entering the exhibition: Felice Varini, 05 3 Red Circle, Spatial Installation, 2006
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A scene from the MAC Val Museum collection exhibition: Center - None Futbol club ne2009 work no-144 Hot Wheels 2014; Right - R Boccanfuso Savoir disposer ses couleurs-P Mondrian 2000
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A scene from the MAC Val Museum collection exhibition: Center - None Futbol club ne2009 work no-144 Hot Wheels 2014
120 左- Laura Lamier ne1943 qui parle ainsi se disant moi 2013 installation
A scene from the MAC Val Museum collection exhibition: Left - Laura Lamier ne1943 Qui parle ainsi se disant moi 2013 installation
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On the outdoor lawn - Big Smoker

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Friends often pass through Paris, and a thread of artistic connection brings us together in this vibrant spring. It is "art" that gathers us here at this time and place. On Monday afternoon, Mr. Huang of Iri Art Gallery and his team met me for coffee and French pastries in the Bercy neighborhood, where Parisians live. Meeting abroad fosters warmth; our relaxed conversation naturally turned to art. We discussed Iri’s operations, artists, international art fair marketing, and views on art, as well as the current Parisian art scene and our shared interest in plants. It was a delightful afternoon.

The next day, Tuesday, we planned to visit MAC Val, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Vitry-sur-Seine, located in the southern suburbs. Established ten years ago, it specializes in French contemporary art, which many Taiwanese art enthusiasts are unfamiliar with. I suggested accompanying Mr. Huang and others to visit. The previous night, curator Wang Chun-chi, who resides in Berlin, messaged that she happened to be passing through Paris and agreed to join us.

On Tuesday afternoon, we met at the Olympiades Metro Station in the 13th arrondissement. Unexpectedly, two young artists, Cheng Jen-pei and Lin Cheng-wei, whom I had met during Wang Chun-chi’s exhibition "Bangka," also appeared. They are currently in residency in Paris. Mr. Huang brought several colleagues from Iri, along with Pei-chu from Hsin Yuan. Together, we formed a lively group of contemporary art visitors. We viewed two of Paris’s largest street murals and then took a bus to MAC Val in Vitry-sur-Seine. Everyone enthusiastically explored the museum, gaining deeper insight into French contemporary art.

After the visit, naturally, came coffee time. It is rare for gallery owners, curators, artists, and critics to gather together. Such encounters inevitably spark diverse and rich exchanges. Discussions ranged from global art trends from Taiwan to gallery management, curatorial approaches, and paths of artistic creation. I felt particularly inspired by Iri’s "Art Freedom Day." Their attention to young artists, dissemination of art news, and promotion of lectures and performance spaces are encouraging efforts to deepen Taiwan’s contemporary art scene.